Terrafugia's 'Transition Car' is the ultimate convertible: A flying car

By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Mar 19, 2009 | 6:57 AM

The Terrafugia Transition Roadable Aircraft lands at Plattsburgh International Airport on its first flight. (Fame Pictures)

Kiss those infuriating traffic jams good-bye.

A team of Massachusetts engineers have come up with a car that can turn into a plane in 30 seconds and get you home with the wind beneath your wings.

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The "Transition Car" built by Terrafugia Inc. (Latin for escape from land) cruises up to 450 miles at more than 115 mph, tools along on land at highway speeds and has fold-up wings that allows parking in standard household garages.

And you can fill 'er up with unleaded at your local gas station.

"This breakthrough changes the world of personal mobility. Travel now becomes a hassle-free integrated land-air experience. It's what aviation enthusiasts have been striving for since 1918," says Carl Dietrich, CEO of Terrafugia.

One hitch - the boxy-looking two-seater's pricetag likely will be around $150,000.

Still, officials of the company in the Boston suburb of Woburn say they've gotten more than 40 orders for it. The first one hopefully will be delivered next year, they said.

To Doubting Thomases who say "if pigs had wings," Terrafugia's team answers that their soaring sedan's fold-ups - they span 27-feet, 6-inches - kept the car aloft for 37 seconds in its maiden flight at Plattsburgh International Airport March 5.

The short flight was confined to the length of the runway, but was enough to allow testing of the car's stability and controllability. They say it passed - you guessed it - with flying colors.

But don't expect the skies to be filled with cars as they were in the science fiction flick "The Fifth Element" any time soon.

Pilot's licenses will be needed and those troublesome aviation laws must be observed.Driver-flyers also will have to land at one of 6,000 public airports around the country, which Terrafugia says are within 20 miles of most people.